Trolley.



(No Model.)

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: iwlmnl lmm m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS W. SUTTON, OF-PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TROILLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,882, dated July 29,1902.

Application filed May 7,1902. Serial No. 106,287. (No model.)

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. SUTTON, a citizen of the United'States ofAmerica, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin'Trolleys, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accom pan y-- such obstruction without becomingdisengaged.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device that permits thetrolley-wheel to be easily disengaged from the wire and may be readilyplaced in position upon the wire when desired.

My present invention further contemplates to provide a device of theabove-described character that will be extremely simple in construction,strong, durable, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and highlyeflicient in its use.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, to behereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out in theclaims. I

In describing the invention indetail reference is had to theaccompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specification, and,

wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout theseveral views, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimprovedtrolley. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the attachment with the trolleyharp and'wheel removed therefrom. Fig.3 is a side elevation of the axlefor the trolley-wheel and on which my attachment is suspended. Fig. 4 isa side elevation, partly in section, of the weight which may be attachedto the device for increasing the weight thereof if desired.

' In the accompanying drawings, 2 indicates the trolley-wheel, 3 theharp in which the wheel is mounted, and 4 the trolley pole which carriesthe harp, these parts being of the ordinary construction and the wheeladapted to engage the trolley-wire l in the usual manner.

While I employ the usual form of trolley wheel and harp, I employ anaxle 2 of especial construction. This axle is made of greater lengththan that ordinarily used, so that its ends will be extended on eachside of the harp 3, and it is provided near each end with apertures 3and 4. The axle is fastened to the harp by means of linchpins or keys5', passed through the ends of the harp and through the'apertures 3 inthe axle.

My attachment is then sprung upon the extended ends of the axle 2' andheld upon the same by pins 6', which are inserted through the apertures4c in the axle. I Thus it will be seen that my attachment is at alltimes at liberty to swing by reason of its pivotal con nection to theharp 3.

My attachment embodies a yoke 5, consisting of two cheek-plates, whichat their lower ends are drawn together and secured to the spacing-block7, to which they are securely fastened in any approved manner. On theouter face of these cheek-plates comprising the'yoke are secured keepers6 and 7, which receive the retaining rods or arms 8, these rods or'arms8 being rotatable in the keepers and prevented from vertical movement bypins 9, which engage the upper edge of the keeper 7 and the lower edgeof the keeper 6. These rods 8 are curved or extended outwardly at theirlower ends, as at 10, and have openings 11 to receive the strands 12 ofthe operating-cord, these strands of the cord being passed through thekeeper 12, which is fastened to the lower end of the spacing-block 7 bymeans of the nut 14, threaded'onto the shank 15, carried on the lowerend of said spacing-block 7 I make this threaded shank 13 of sufficientlength that, if desired, I may attach thereto a weight 16, as shown inFig. 4., in order to give a greater heft to the device. This weight 16is provided with a threaded socket 17 to engage with the threaded shank15, so that it may be readily attached, if desired, or removed in caseit may not be necessary to use the same. The upper end 16 of the rods orarms 8 forma retaining device, which curves inwardly over thecheek-plates, as at 18, extended upwardly and then bent over at rightangles, as shown at 19, so that their ends are adjacent one another, butnot in contact. The arms or rods constituting the retaining device areheld normallyin the retaining position by means of springs 14, arrangedon the rods between the keepers 6 and 7 and having their ends 15extended in oppo site directions and bear against the cheekplatesforming the yoke 5. In order that the rods or arms 8 will not engagewith the cheekplates throughout the length of the latter, I place smallplates or spacing-blocks 8 underneath the keepers 7 6, so that the onlyfrictional'contaet of these rods is with the keepers or with the platesor spacing-blocks.

In operation the springs 14 will serve to normally hold the retainingdevice shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the operating-cord is pulleddownwardly, the ends 10 of the rods or arms 8 may be drawn together byreason of the strands 12 of the operating cord passing through the eyeor keeper 12, and the rods will thereby be turned so as to spread orseparate the upper end thereof and permit the disengagement of the wheelfrom the wire. The pins 9, carried by the rods 8, will limit the rotarymovement imparted to these rods, and as soon as the operating-cord israised the spring let will immediately return the arms or rods to theretaining position. WVhen the trolley-wheel is in engagement with thewire, the upper ends of these rods or arms lie above said wire, and thusserve to normally hold the wheel in engagement with the wire, preventingsaid wheel from leaving this position on the wire until such time as theoperating-cord is actuated, so as to open the upper ends of the arms.Should an obstruction be met on the trolley-wire,the rods 8 will turn inkeepers 6 and 7, and after the same is passed the springs 14 will returnthe rods to their normal position.

It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details ofconstruction without departing from the general spirit of my invention.7

Having fully described my invention,what I claim as new,and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a trolley, the combination withaharp, an axle mounted in said harp and extended beyond the sides of thelatter, a pin passing through the ends of the harp and through said axleand a trolley-wheel mounted on the axle within the harp, of a yokecomprising a pair of cheek-plates mounted at their upper ends on theextended ends of the axle and secured together at their lower ends,retaining-rods journaled in keepers secured to said plates and rotatablein said keepers, the upper ends of said arms being extended inwardly, akeeper carriedat the lower end of the yoke, means connected to the lowerends of the rods or arms and passing through said keeper for rotatingthe rods, and springs arranged on said rods for normally holding thesame in the retaining position,substantially as described.

2. In a trolley, the combination with a trolley-harp, an axle mountedtherein and ex tended beyond the sides of the harp and a trolley-wheelmounted on said axle, a pin passing through said harp and said axle, ofa yoke embodying a'pair of cheek-plates connected to a spacer-block attheir lower ends,

retaining-rods journaled in keepers on the outer face of said plates androtatable in said keepers, springs arranged on said rods and bearingagainst the cheek-plates for normally holding the rods in a retainingposition, a keeper carried by the spacer-block, an operating-cordextending through said keeper and connected to each of theretaining-rods, and means carried bythe spacer-block for securing aweight thereto, substantially as described. A

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

THOMAS W. SUTTON.

Witnesses:

J OHN NOLAND, E. E. POTTER.

